Everything I Need
by labgeekluvr
Summary: Sara discovers that her relationship with Grissom isn't giving her what she needs, but she discovers that someone else can
1. Chapter 1

Title: Everything I Need

Time: End of "Happenstance" (Season 7)  
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, they are the property of the writers at CBS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Sara was beat. She had just spent the entire day on a bench outside a courtroom, waiting to be called in to testify about evidence she had processed. She never got called, so she'd have to go back tomorrow. Frustrated and tired, she went back to CSI, hoping to see Grissom and maybe grab a bite to eat, spend a cozy evening with him. When she reached his office he was reading Walden Pond by Thoreau. He was so engrossed in his book that he failed to ask her how her day went. She told him anyhow. His response was less than sympathetic. This was not what she needed from him. Then to top it all off, he quotes from the book he's reading:

"_I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than to be crowded on a velvet cushion"_.1

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. She glanced down and looked at the crossword puzzle left unfinished on his desk. An eleven-letter word left blank caught her eye.

"You missed one...misanthrope. I won't wait up." She said, smiling sarcastically as she left.

On her way out she passed Greg Sanders in the hallway.

"Hi, Sara. You look nice, I like your hair". He said, smiling.

She stopped, surprised. That was what she needed to hear today, but from Grissom, not Greg.

"Thanks. How are you doing now that the inquest is over? That must have been nerve-racking."

"Yeah, it was kinda tense for a while. Still is actually. Now I've got to face a civil suit,"Greg replied, trying to keep a brave face.

"Civil suit? You've got to be kidding me. When is this going to end? I mean how much more do you have to go through before this is over?"

"Hopefully this will be over soon. In the meantime I'll just keep busy, try to keep my mind off it." He paused, seeing that Sara didn't quite seem herself. "Are you okay? You seem a little flustered yourself."

"Oh, just things didn't work out today like I'd hoped."

"Sorry to hear that. Listen, I'm just about ready to head out. Would you wanna grab some dinner with me?"

Sara froze for a moment. She couldn't believe that what she so desperately needed from Grissom was materializing before her eyes in the last possible way she expected.

"If you have plans, I'll understand." Greg continued, filling the silence.

"No...actually, I don't have plans. Dinner sounds great." Sara replied, glancing back towards Grissom's office. Grissom had just opened his door just as Sara had accepted Greg's dinner invitation.

"Great, shall we?" Greg asked.

"You bet," Sara replied, smiling at Greg, then glancing back at Grissom as she and Greg walked out together. Grissom watched them leave, not believing what he was seeing. He stepped back into his office and slammed the door shut.

Sara and Greg arrived at their favorite Mexican place. Greg remarked how he remembered Sara and the others had brought him food from this place when he was in the hospital.

"I don't know if I told you how much I appreciated you being there for me when, you know, I was lying down in that alley," he said softly.

"You did, Greg. You told me that day in the hospital, remember?" Sara replied.

"Well, I don't think I said half of what I wanted to, with Nick and Warrick being there and everything."

"Greg, it's okay. I was glad to be there for you."

"You don't understand, Sara," he said, reaching for her hand. His touch made her tremble slightly. "I was so scared, and felt so cold lying there on the asphalt, bleeding all over the place, unable to see. I was so sure that they were going to come back and finish me off. That I'd never see..."

"Greg..." Sara whispered.

"I was so relieved when I heard the sirens approaching. And then to hear you and Sofia talking, to know you were near. And then to feel you touch me..." Greg lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek. Her impulse was to take her hand away, but he held it there, stroking it with his thumb. "...to hear you say you were there for me, meant more to me than you could ever know." A tear trickled down his cheek into Sara's palm. She instinctively brushed it away with her thumb.

"That's why I can't understand what you see in Grissom."

"Wait a minute. You know?"

"Sara, I've known you've had feelings for him for a long time now. I heard about it after that independent CSI ran the whole night shift through the wringer–that was back when I was still in the lab. That defense attorney said that someone saw you touching him while you were working together–very much like you're touching me now."

Sara withdrew her hand. "You're the one who grabbed my hand," she retorted.

"Because I wanted you to touch me," he said, grabbing her hand and placing it back on his cheek. "Grissom doesn't know what he wants. Grissom doesn't know what he has," he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I do. I've loved you for so long. I've watched your boyfriends come and go, wishing I could be that guy, wishing I could feel your touch. You know, you never did answer my question."

"What question?" Sara asked.

"What does he have that I don't have? So I'll ask it again now, what does he have that I don't have?"

Sara gazed deep into his soft brown eyes. She thought about Grissom–what did he have? A heart that she can't touch? A soul that she can't reach? Here was Greg reaching out for her with the arms she needed to hold her, a heart that needed her. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. He responded to her kiss, and she took his face in hoth of her hands.

"Nothing. He has nothing. Grissom and I are over," she whispered, kissing him again.

After a long, gentle kiss Greg looked into her eyes and smiled. "What do you say we get our order to go and have dinner at my place?"

"Sounds good to me," Sara smiled.

Greg called over the waitress, and they asked to have their order to go. They arrived at Greg's apartment. Greg took the food containers into the kitchen as Sara took off her coat. They looked at each other and decided that dinner could wait, food wasn't what they were hungry for at the moment. Greg placed the food in the refrigerator, while Sara sat down on the couch. Greg walked over and sat down beside her, taking her into his arms and kissing her. She ran her fingers through his hair, just like she had done the morning after he had been beaten. She lay back on the couch, reaching under his shirt as he unbuttoned her blouse.

This was the love she had been needing–simple and pure, uncomplicated and there for the asking Afterwards, she lay her head on his chest, drawing circles with her fingers around where his heart would be.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "I have everything I need right here."

He smiled and pressed her head against his chest, holding her close.

"Me too," he whispered, kissing and stroking her hair.

1Thoreau, Henry David. _Walden Pond_


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Everything I Need, chapter 2

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, all are property of the writers of CBS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

"You're leaving?" Sara asked, obviously miffed at Grissom. Grissom had handed out assignments earlier that morning and made the announcement that he was going on sabbatical.

"Temporarily. I've been asked to teach a seminar at Brown," Grissom replied.

"New Hampshire. And you're telling me this now?" Sara retorted.

"Was I supposed to tell you some other time?" Grissom asked, oblivious.

"A 'heads-up' would have been nice. I thought things between us were going to work once we finally hooked up. But it's like there's nothing going on between us," Sara said.

"What exactly is going on between us, Sara?" Grissom asked.

"You need me to spell it out for you? If you need to ask me that, then obviously there's nothing going on, nothing much more than a couple one-night stands," Sara stammered.

"Sara, keep your voice down..." Grissom started.

"Why, am I some office secret? Something you need to hide? I thought I meant something to you," Sara said angrily.

"You do, you always have, Sara. I'm just not good at this. I'm still not sure what to do with this," Grissom explained.

"You'd still rather have the pumpkin all to yourself? Less complicated that way?" Sara asked sarcastically.

"If you're looking for an honest answer, then yes. It is less complicated that way. It doesn't necessarily mean that's what I want," Grissom said softly.

"What do you want, Gil?" Sara asked. She received no answer.

"I'll tell you this much, you can have your pumpkin. I want out. I'm done trying to figure out how to make you happy. I'm through with trading snarky remarks with you instead of terms of endearment. We're through. Goodbye, Grissom. Have a nice trip," Sara said as she walked out.

Grissom stared after her for a moment. Greg appeared in the doorway, noticing Sara looking unhappy as she stormed down the hall, but saying nothing. He was supposed to work a crime scene with Grissom that day. "Ready to go, boss?" Greg smiled.

"Actually Greg, you go ahead and take Sara with you. I'm going to supervise on this one," Grissom said, eyes buried in his paperwork.

"Me and Sara, are you sure?" Greg asked.

"You sound surprised," Grissom said, looking up. "It's not like you haven't worked together before."

"Yeah, I know, but...okay, if you say so," Greg said.

"I say so," Grissom said, burying his head in paperwork again.

Greg left Grissom's office and found Sara in the break room. He stole up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," Sara smiled.

"Looks like we'll be working together today. Grissom told me to go with you to the crime scene," Greg said.

"Okay, great. Guess we'd better head out then," Sara said.

"You okay? I saw you storm out of Grissom's office looking rather miffed," Greg said.

"Yeah, I was just surprised that he's leaving, that's all," Sara explained.

"Are you sure that's it? I thought you said it was over between you two when we, uh, you know..."

"Oh, it is. Believe me it is. I made that abundantly clear," Sara said.

"Today?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, why?" Sara asked.

"Sara, you told me you guys were done weeks ago. You're just making it official now?" Greg asked incredulously.

"The opportunity hadn't presented itself," Sara explained.

"How much longer were you going to wait? Or were you just stringing me along like Grissom was with you? I thought I meant something to you," Greg said gravely.

Sara's words to Grissom came back to haunt her in that moment. She realized how much she had hurt Greg by delaying her breakup with Grissom. She didn't know why she had put it off, the time just never seemed right until now. Now in a flash she was at the same crossroads as Grissom and she had a decision to make. Greg was just about to turn around and walk out of the room when Sara grabbed him.

"No you don't," she said firmly. She took his face in her hands. "I'm not going to make the same mistake Grissom did. I'm not going to let you walk away." She kissed him firmly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, lowering his head to rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," Greg whispered.

Sara burst into tears. "I'm sorry too. I should have broke it off with him sooner. I don't know why I waited. It wasn't because I was unsure of how I felt, I knew I wanted to be with you. I just..."

"You just didn't know how to tell him. You were afraid of hurting him," Greg said, taking her hands.

"And he just let me go. He didn't try to stop me. He just let me walk away," Sara said tearfully.

"Maybe he just wanted you to be happy and he knew he couldn't be the guy to make you happy," Greg said. 'Besides, he's leaving, albeit temporarily. Maybe it was the right time after all–for both of you to move on."

"Maybe you're right," Sara said.

"I'm just thankful you didn't let me walk away like he did with you," Greg said softly, pressing his forehead against hers. They both laughed and gently kissed, then they gathered their equipment and headed off to their crime scene. Grissom watched them walk down the hall together and sighed.

"That was a heavy sigh," a familiar voice behind him said. Grissom grimmaced, then turned around and saw that it was Catherine. "Sara and Greg working the crime scene together? I thought you were going."

"I think they'll be fine. They make a good team," Grissom said, walking away. Catherine stood staring after him with a puzzled look on her face, then turned and headed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Everything I Need, Chapter 3

Sara and Sophia stood waiting in the hallway outside of Greg's hospital room. "Sara, he'll be fine," Sophia said. "The doctor removed the bullet, he's no longer in immediate danger. His body just needs to rest now. Why don't you go in and be with him?"

"Thanks, Sophia," Sara said.

"I'm going to take this back to CSI. I'll talk to you later. Take care, okay?" Sophia said as she left Sara alone.

Sara remained in the hallway for a few minutes. Her mind took her back over the events that led Greg to be here in his current state. His civil suit took place earlier that morning, brought against him by the family of Demetrius James. Sara, Sophia, Nick and Warrick were all there for support, and for protection in case the brother, Aaron James, should threaten Greg. For Greg's sake Sara wished Grissom could be there too, but he was teaching a seminar in New England. The verdict went in Greg's favor, and Greg and his friends left together to celebrate. They passed through a flurry of reporters, and Greg offered a courteous "no comment" to the media circus gathering around him. Suddenly shots rang out, and Greg clutched his right shoulder and went down. Sophia spotted Aaron James aiming a pistol in their direction. She, Warrick, and Nick pursued him while Sara stayed with Greg, imploring him to hang on.

"Sara," Greg whispered as she held him in her arms."

"I'm here Greg. I'm here. Don't worry, you're going to be fine," Sara said softly, stroking his hair. She radioed for an ambulance, and Greg was whisked away to the hospital. Sophia, Nick, and Warrick cornered Aaron James and brought him into custody.

Greg was taken immediately into surgery to have the bullet removed and to stop the bleeding. Sophia waited with Sara, lending her support. She was struck by the similarity of this moment to another moment in their recent past–the morning after Greg was beaten and nearly killed by Aaron's brother Demetrius and his friends. Sophia had assured Sara that morning that Greg was stabilized and that he would be fine. Now she was here doing the same.

"Greg's a pretty special guy, isn't he?" Sophia asked.

"How do you mean?" Sara asked, not wanting to divulge too much of what she was feeling.

"Everyone in the lab seems to be fond of him–even Hodges in his own particular way. He's still managed to hold on to his sense of humor I hope?" Sophia inquired.

"For the most part, though I haven't seen him wearing any tacky shirts or crazy hats lately," Sara smiled. "He's been through a lot, and it's taken it's toll–especially this whole situation."

"Well, aside from Aaron James receiving the justice he deserves it's pretty much over. Perhaps now Greg can sleep easy now," Sophia said.

"Perhaps," Sara agreed.

"Sara, he'll be fine," Sophia said. "The doctor removed the bullet, he's no longer in immediate danger. His body just needs to rest now. Why don't you go in and be with him?"

Sara walked into Greg's room, pulled up a chair beside his bed, and took his hand. Various machines began to beep and buzz as Greg awakened, startling Sara at first. But then Greg turned his head and looked at her with his warm brown eyes. Sara ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hi there," she whispered. "You're going to be fine. The doctors removed the bullet and patched you up. Aaron James is in custody. It's all over."

Greg reached up and tried to pull out his chest tube. Sara took his hand.

"No, no sweetie. You don't want to do that. That's helping you breathe right now. I know it's uncomfortable. Let me page the nurse, so we can let her know you're awake, and we can see about getting that out okay?" Sara said. Greg nodded as best he could, and Sara pressed the call button for the nurse. The nurse came and checked Greg's vitals, then called for the doctor to remove the chest tube. Once the doctor and nurse had left the room, Sara drew near to Greg's bedside and took his hand. She offered him some water to ease the dryness in his throat.

"It's really over?" Greg whispered in a raspy voice.

"Yes, it's over," Sara said softly. Greg brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I'm so glad you're here," Greg said, his warm brown eyes brimming with tears. Sara stroked his face. Greg opened his arms and Sara snuggled beside him in his hospital bed.

"Everything's going to be okay now," Sara whispered.

"I know it is, because you're here with me," Greg whispered, kissing Sara's forehead. They held each other silently until they both drifted off to sleep in each others' arms.


End file.
